Steel sucker rods have been used for decades in producing oil wells to actuate petroleum pumps located in well bores of producing, but not pressurized, oil wells. A series of sucker rods are connected together to form a string extending down into the well bore. The string is connected to a petroleum pump at the end in the well bore and to a cyclic or reciprocating drive mechanism at the well head to actuate the petroleum pump to cause oil to be pumped up the well bore and into a pipeline. Recently, steel sucker rods have been replaced in part in the well bores by sucker rods made out of other materials, such as fiberglass. See, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 076,373, filed Sept. 17, 1979 by Woodrow T. Rutledge, Jr. et al entitled: "Fiberglass Sucker Rod Construction" now U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,288. The fiberglass rods are provided with end connectors of steel or other suitable material which are mounted with the fiberglass rods by a combination of adhesive and compression joints. The fiberglass sucker rods with the end connectors, like steel sucker rods, must provide tensile strength at least to the American Petroleum Institute standard of 21,000 lbs. and must withstand thousands of pounds of pressure and must be constructed to withstand the cyclic axial forces without fatigue.
The tensile strength of these rods and each connector adhesive is tested for rods manufactured by Fiberflex Product, Inc. by a tester which applies a tensile load on the rod greater than that expected in actual operation. The mechanism which tests the tensile strength of the fiberglass sucker rod and the end connector also applies the tensile force to the end connectors necessary to cause the annular wedges of cured adhesive material between the rod and the end connectors to be forced into compressive engagement with the rod outer cylindrical surface and with the connector member tapered surfaces. See U.S. patent application Ser. No. 076,373, supra at page 8, lines 1-6.
A testing method of the prior art of this type was previously used but did not contemplate nor embody the rams push plate, a stationary plate and pull rods.